If you are involved in a fund-raising or charity event for the first time, it can be a daunting experience. One of the easiest, and most cost-effective ways to raise money for your cause is through the fund-raising letter.
When you write your letter, keep the basics in mind. You don’t have to do these in a sequential order, but, be sure to cover these important points:
1. Tell people what you are raising money for.
2. Tell people why you are doing it and tie it into your emotions. People are more likely to give to your cause if you are able to invite them into your perspective. Why is this cause important to you?
3. Tell people why it will be beneficial to them, and tie into their emotions. Is this a cause that will effect them or someone they know? Will it help a large group of people?
4. Consider using an example of someone who would benefit from the money donated. The more you can show that a donation is going to help specific people, the better. You are more compelling when you give people a story to relate to.
5. Provide compelling statistics, if available. If you are talking about a disease, doesn’t it make sense to point out that it is one that 1 in 6 women will get? If you’re raising money for a sports field, wouldn’t it make sense to point out how many children will benefit from the use of this field? Numbers are available for this stuff, and a little bit of research on your part will give your prospective donors a tangible reason to donate.
6. People won’t give unless you ask. The best idea is to ask for a specific dollar amount. I know it sounds tacky at first, but, people generally rise to whatever bar you set.
7. If the donation is tax deductible, be sure to point this out.
8. If you are raising money for a charity, let people know where they can go to find more information about how the money is used. People have fears that their money is going to get eaten by administrative costs, or will be used for animal research, or any number of other things. Give those people the resource they need to find out where the money actually goes so they can put their own minds at ease.
When coming up with a mailing list, keep all of these people in mind:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Co-workers
4. Members of associations you are in or were in the past (like old fraternity brothers, for example)
5. Alumni
6. Neighbors
7. Your entire Christmas list
There is a natural tendency to “dis-include” people that you know personally. Say you know someone is struggling financially right now. You might be inclined not to send them a letter. This is a big mistake. You have just made the decision for them. This could be a cause that is near and dear to their hearts as well. If they cannot give, they cannot give. It’s OK. But they are the only people who should make that decision.
Another thing to do is to ask people you know if you can “borrow” their mailing lists. You can easily modify your letter to these people to say “Sally believed in my cause so much that she asked me to write you too.” Friends and family of Sally are likely to respond to your request for a donation if Sally believes in the cause enough to have you write to them, and if they believe in your cause too.
When you mail your letter, be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Make it as easy for people to give as possible. Without it, people have an excuse to be lazy and leave the letter on their desk for another week or month.
Consider donation coupons. These make it easy to ask for a specific dollar amount without being tacky. Offer different donation amounts, but leave a space for someone to write in an “other” amount. All donations are generous. Be sure you don’t make anyone feel like they haven’t contributed because they didn’t meet the lowest dollar amount on the check list.
If you are doing an event where you can incorporate their personalized message — tell people this. People want recognition. If you are doing a walk for breast cancer, for example, consider putting a spot on your donation coupon where people can put their personalized message. You will get things like “in honor of Mary Smith, who lost the fight to breast cancer.” You can write these messages on your shirt, or on a wall, etc. You can even have people send you photos in order to personalize it even more.
Give people a reason to send their donation the minute they get it. If people delay, they are likely to forget about it until after the event has passed. Then they are likely to think you do not need the money any more, and they will never donate to the cause. Don’t make this mistake.
If someone has received one letter from you and did not respond, don’t take that as a “no.” Sometimes people are busy, or lazy, or didn’t realize how important the cause was to you. Sometimes a follow up letter will do the trick. You will receive more responses by sending up a follow up letter.
To save money, you can consider sending your letters via email. I have found this less effective than sending letters in the mail. It’s easier to ignore a piece of “virtual” mail than a physical piece of paper that someone took the time and expense to send to you. If you are using electronic requests, I suggest you also use old fashioned postal requests as well. You will catch more fish if you use a wider, or, multiple nets.
After you receive donations, be certain to follow up with thank you letters. People have gone out of their way to donate money to your cause. They want a follow up and recognition of the fact that they participated in your cause. People also like to hear how much money was raised in total, and they like to hear that the event was a huge success, thanks in great part to their generosity.
Best of luck on your fund raising efforts! Keep in mind that people want to help, and they will, once you ask.
